After No One Showed Up To Read To Him The Internet Responded

STING THE THERAPY DOG

One of Sting’s favorite things to do is help children learn how to read. When no one showed up to read to him during one of his sessions at the library his dad posted a few photos online. He hoped the photos would encourage kids to make an appointment to read with Sting.

Unfortunately nobody signed up to read to Sting at the White Bear Lake library tonight. If you know of a 4 to 8yr old…

THE INTERNET ANSWERED THE CALL

No sooner had John Muellner posted the photos featuring what appears to be a very sad and depressed dog, the phones started ringing off the hook. People across the country were clamoring to cheer up the pup.

If you are feeling yourself getting a little sad for Sting, please don’t. His dad says he is a very happy guy, and that is only how his face looks naturally.

Actually, Sting is a 10-year-old hound breed and a retired race dog. He has a new job now, though, and that is working as a therapy dog in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. One of his jobs is that once a week he goes to the city library in town and he listens closely while children read to him. The program is called Paws to Read.

He usually hangs around for about an hour, so that means that three kids get to read to him for about 20 minutes each. On this particular week, though, no one showed up.

Well, until Muellner posted those photos, anyway.

The librarians on staff were shocked at how much the phone was ringing.

“People are asking if we could hold the phone to Sting’s ear so they could read to him,” librarian Ann Wahlstrom said. “The whole staff of a Petco in California called to say they love Sting. It’s just amazing, the outpouring.”

Lo and behold, thanks to his dad’s quick thinking, Sting is now booked solid through April, along with all the other resident reading dogs that participate in the program.

The librarians are delighted that there are so many kids getting excited about reading. What an excellent program!

Tammie has loved animals since she was a child. She was always bringing home strays to rescue and care for them. Her love for our furry friends has carried over into her work as a writer and one of her favorite parts of every day is when she gets to write about these delightful creatures.